Spring finger rotary sweep



Feb. 7, 1967 c. E. RASMUSSEN 3,302,378

SPRING FINGER ROTARY SWEEP Filed July 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E E E E E E INVENTOR.

Carl F. Pasmassen 1967 c. E. RASMUSSEN SPRING FINGER ROTARY SWEEP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20, 1964 United States Patent M 3,302,378 SPRWG FINGER ROTARY SWEEP Carl E. Rasmussen, Atwater, Califl, assignor to Goodwin Manufacturing Company, Manteca, Calif, a corporation of California Filed July 2t), 1964, Ser. No. 383,900 6 Claims. (Cl. 56328) This invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, an improved spring finger rotary sweep especially designed, but not limited, for use in a machine for picking up nuts from the ground during harvesting operations; the present invention representing improvements over the rotary sweep shown in United States Patent No. 2,508,454.

The rotary sweep includes a number of mounting shafts arranged in a row concentric with the axis of rotation of the sweep, and a plurality of finger units mounted on and projecting from each shaft; each finger unit including a spring urged plate trunably mounted on the re-' lated shaft and from which plate the fingers project.

Another important object of the present invention is to construct the finger units in such a manner that the plate of any unit may be quickly and easily removed from connection with the related shaft without disturbing said shaft or the other units.

In connection with this feature, it is an additional object of the invention to removably mount the fingers of each unit in connection with the mounting plate thereof and to provide novel means which-upon disengagement of the plate from the shaftenables the fingers to be readily removed from said plate. In this manner, repair or replacement of the fingers and plate of any unit may be effected in a minimum of time, with little effort, and with out having to dismantle the rotary sweep entirely or remove it from connection with the mobile machine of which it is a part.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary sweep which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable rotary sweep and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a foreshortened front elevation of the improved rotary sweep.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the finger units, detached.

FIG. 4 is a radial section of a finger unit, taken on line 44 of FIG. 3, but with the parts of the unit in separated or exploded relation to each other, and with the mounting shaft of the unit included in the view.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the rotary sweep comprises circular end plates 1 rigidly connected by a tubular member 2 of materially smaller diameter than the plates but concentric therewith. Stub shafts 3 are rigid with the end plates centrally thereof and project outwardly for engagement with suitable bearings mounted on a machine which may be of the nut pickup type shown in said United States Patent No. 2,508,454, and which machine, of course, includes means to rotate the sweep in the proper direction.

The rotary sweep also includesadjacent its periphery-a plurality of evenly spaced relatively small diameter shafts 4 extending between and secured to the plates 1 and disposed in a row concentric with the member 2 3,3237% Patented Feb. 7, i967 and the axis of shafts 3; the shafts 4 also extending through and being supported by evenly spaced arms 5 rigid with and projecting from said member 2.

The shafts 4 support rows of the finger units of the sweep and which units are constructed as follows:

Each such finger unit, indicated. generally at 6, comprises a mounting plate 7 of a substantial length; the adjacent plates in each row of units being disposed in close, end-to-end relation.

Each plate 7 is formed along its outer edge with a flange 8 disposed at an angle of greater than 90 degrees to the forward face of said plate, and along its opposite or inner edge with a forwardly opening cradle 9; said cradle being of a size to engage and fit a portion of a shaft 4.

Formed with and extending along the plate 7 intermediate the flange 8 and the cradle 9, and projecting from the forward face of said plate, is a row of evenly spaced angular inwardly opening hooks it); such books thus facing away from the flange 8. Alternate ones of the hooks are adapted to engage over the end cross bars ill of elongated, U-shaped outwardly projecting fingers 112 each of which includes a'pair of round equal length tines 13; the fingers being preferably made of a suitable grade of plastic material. The tines 13when the cross bars 11 of the various fingers 12 are engaged by the hooks 10- project in parallel and evenly spaced relation through correspondingly spaced holes 14 in the flange 8.

The hooks 10 which are not being used, i.e. those that are shown as located between the fingers 12, are for the purpose of selectively altering the spaced relation between such fingers when desired.

In order to removably maintain the fingers in their operative positions and at the same time detachably mount the plate 7 on the shaft 4, a retaining plate 15 is provided. Such retaining plate 15 is adapted to rest on the face of the plate 7 between the books 10 and the cradle 9 and to be detachably secured to said plate 7 by cap screws 16 which are preferably of the self threading variety. The retaining plate 15-which is the same length as plate 7is formed along its inner edge and adjacent the ends with caps 17 matching and registering with the cradle 9 so as to also engage about the related shaft 4 when such plate 15 is secured in place. The caps 17 and cradle 9 together form a shaft-engaging sleeve.

At its outer edge, the plate 15 is formed with an obtuse angle flange l8 projecting away from the plate 7 and adapted to engage under the row of hooks 10 and to press against the cross bars 11 of the various fingers 12 whereby to normally hold such cross bars, and consequently the tines 13, in a fixed position on plate 7.

Between the caps 17, the plate 15 is formed with an ear 1-9 which extends beyond said caps at an obtuse angle to the face of said plate so as to overlie the shaft 4- engaged by said caps and the cradle 9in clearance relation thereto. A tension spring 20 is connected to the ear 19 and extends thence to a connection with the next shaft 4 ahead, relative to the direction of rotation of the rotary sweep.

T-he finger units 6 are disposed in staggered relation to each other on adjacent shafts 4 so that the springs of the finger units on one shaft 4 may connect with the shaft 4 ahead between adjacent finger units on the latter shaft. Because of such staggering of the finger units, it is necessary that the units 6a at the opposite ends of adjacent rows, shall be longer than the other units of the rows in order to completely fill the space between the end plates 1. The cradle 9 of each of such longer finger units is, therefore, cut away as at 21 (see FIG. 1) in line with the spring 20 of the finger unit 6 on the end of the row behind, so that said spring may be connected u to the portion of the shaft 4 exposed by said cutaway 21.

By reason of the above described features of construction of the finger units 6 (and, of course, the finger units 6a), any such finger unit may be easily and quickly removed from its connection with the corresponding shaft 4-without disturbing said shaft or the other finger units thereonwhenever it is necessary to replace the unit or a part thereof worn or damaged in operation.

To remove a finger unit, it is only necessary to first withdraw the cap screws 16. This disconnects the retaining plate 15 from the mounting plate 7, whereupon said plate 15 is lifted to disengage the caps 17 from the shaft 4. This in turn enables the plate 15 to be shifted rearwardly so as to withdraw the flange 18 from under the hooks It); said plate 15 then being completely disassociated from the plate 7. This, of course, permits the cross bar 11 of any finger 12 to be withdrawn from under the hooks 10, and the tines 13 of such finger to be withdrawn through the holes 14 of the flange 8. In this way the individual fingers 12 can be removed and replaced.

In operation, as the sweep rotates and the rows of tines 13 successively engage the ground and the finger units relatively swing rearwardly with advance of the machine, the corresponding springs 20 become tensioned. Thereafter, upon the tines of the ground drag loaded finger units engaging nuts 22 (or other objects) on the ground, such finger unitswith further rotation-release from the ground and snap forwardly and upwardly. when this occurs, the engaged nuts (or other objects) are thrown forwardly and upwardly by the tines, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 2, and thence are caught by suitable receiving means on the machine.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a rotary sweep as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the rotary sweep, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. In a rotary sweep which includes end plates rigidly connected together for rotation in one direction about a central axis, a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting shafts extending between and connected to the end plates concentrically of said axis, and a plurality of finger units turnably supported from each shaft in side-by-side relation; each finger unit comprising a plate having a cradle at one end for disengageable turning engagement with the related shaft, a plurality of fingers removably supported by and projecting from the other end of the plate, and a member detachably mounted on the plate and provided with means normally preventing removal of the fingers from the plate and disengagement of the cradle from the shaft.

2. In a rotary sweep which includes end plates rigidly connected together for rotation in one direction about a central axis, a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting shafts extending between and connected to the end plates concentrically of said axis, and a plurality of finger units turnably supported from each shaft in sideby-side relation; each finger unit comprising a plate having a cradle along one edge for disengageable turning engagement with the related shaft, a plurality of fingers supported by and projecting from the other edge of the plate, another plate removably mounted on the first plate in opposition to the cradle, and a shaft fitting cap on the 4 other plate registering with the cradle to provide a shaft engaging sleeve.

3. In a rotary sweep which includes end plates rigidly connected together for rotation in one direction about a central axis, a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting shafts extending between and connected to the end plates concentrically of said axis, and a plurality of finger units turnably supported from each shaft in sideby-side relation; each finger unit comprising a plate having a cradle along one edge for disengageab-le turning engagement with the related shaft, a plurality of fingers projecting from the other edge of the plate, the plate having an angular flange along said other edge projecting beyond the face of the plate, each finger comprising a pair of spaced tines connected by an end cross bar, the tines removably extending through holes in said flange, spaced hooks projecting from said face of the plate between the flange and cradle and opening away from the flange, the cross bar of each finger engaging under a hook, and a member detachably mounted on said face of the plate and normally preventing withdrawal of the cross bars from the hooks.

4. In a rotary sweep which includes end plates rigidly connected together for rotation in one direction about a central axis, a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting shafts extending between and connected to the end plates concentrically of said axis, and a plurality of finger units turnably supported from each shaft in sideby-side relation; each finger unit comprising a plate having a cradle along one edge for disengageable turning engagement with the related shaft, a plurality of fingers projecting from the other edge of the plate, the plate having an angular flange along said other edge projecting beyond the face of the plate, each finger comprising a pair of spaced tines connected by an end cross bar, the tines removably extending through holes in said flange, spaced hooks projecting from said face of the plate between the flange and cradle and opening away from the flange, the cross bar of each finger engaging under a hook, another plate detachably mounted on said face of the first named plate, and a flange on one edge of the other plate engaging under the hooks and against said cross bars whereby to normally prevent withdrawal of the cross bars from said hooks.

5. A rotary sweep, as in claim 4, in which said other plate at its other edge is provided with a cap registering with the cradle to provide a shaft engaging sleeve.

6. In a rotary sweep which includes a horizontal shaft mounted radially out from the central axis of the sweep, and a plurality of finger units turnably supported from the shaft in side-by-side relation; each finger unit comprising a plate arranged along one edge for turning engagement with the shaft, an angular flange projecting from the other edge of the plate, a plurality of fingers projecting from said other edge of the plate, each finger comprising a pair of spaced tines connected by an end cross bar, the tines removably projecting through holes in said flange, spaced hooks projecting from the plate between the flange and the shaft-engaged end of the plate and opening away from the flange, the cross bar of each finger engaging under a hook, another plate detachably mounted on the first named plate, and a flange on one edge of said other plate engaging under the hooks and against the cross bars to normally prevent withdrawal of the cross bars from said hooks.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,490,237 12/1949 Silver 56-400 XR 2,508,454 5/1950 Goodwin 56-364 ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner. P. RAZZANO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROTARY SWEEP WHICH INCLUDES END PLATES RIGIDLY CONNECTED TOGETHER FOR ROTATION IN ONE DIRECTION ABOUT A CENTRAL AXIS, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED MOUNTING SHAFTS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND CONNECTED TO THE END PLATES CONCENTRICALLY OF SAID AXIS, AND A PLURALITY OF FINGER UNITS TURNABLY SUPPORTED FROM EACH SHAFT IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION; EACH FINGER UNIT COMPRISING A PLATE HAVING A CRADLE AT ONE END FOR DISENGAGEABLE TURNING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RELATED SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF FINGERS REMOVABLY SUPPORTED BY AND PROJECTING FROM THE OTHER END OF THE PLATE, AND A MEMBER DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON THE PLATE AND PROVIDED WITH MEANS NORMALLY PREVENTING REMOVAL OF THE FINGERS FROM THE PLATE AND DISENGAGEMENT OF THE CRADLE FROM THE SHAFT. 